1. Technical Field
One or more embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to georeference information. More specifically, one or more embodiments of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods for generating georeference information for aerial images.
2. Background and Relevant Art
Recent years have seen a rapid increase in the use of digital aerial images in various applications. In particular, given the recent proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in commercial and industrial applications, digital aerial photography has become more common in individual and business environments. For instance, individuals now commonly utilize UAVs to capture digital aerial images of homes, places of interest, or even recreational activities.
In many applications, however, individuals and businesses find it imperative to tie digital aerial image data to precise geographic locations. For example, in a construction application, a design company may find it critical to determine the location of structures as they exist in situ and/or the location of structures progressing during construction. Indeed, many applications require digital aerial image data that corresponds to accurate real-world coordinates with only centimeters of permissible variance.
To accomplish this objective, many common digital image systems capture images tied to known georeference locations. For instance, common image systems place visible ground control points (i.e., markers) at known geographic locations before capturing digital image data. Common image systems then determine the precise geographic location of features within captured images based on these known points.
Although systems that utilize markers permit users to relate digital image data to known ground control points with remarkable accuracy, such systems introduce their own problems. For instance, businesses commonly need updated aerial imagery of a site over a period of days, weeks, months, or years. Common systems require users to place, or maintain, ground control points each time users seek to capture digital aerial imagery. Thus, for example, a business operating an active construction site may desire updated digital aerial image data related to construction progress at the end of each week, requiring users to place markers every week to produce accurate georeferenced image data. Because placing the markers may require specialized expertise and surveying equipment, this process can result in excessive costs in both time and expense.
Moreover, in some instances, users may forget to place markers (or may inaccurately place markers) when capturing aerial image data. Such situations may result in additional wasted time and expense, as users are required to recapture image data or proceed without accurate georeference information. Furthermore, in some applications, it may not be possible to access a site to replace or maintain ground control points. For example, in taking digital aerial images at remote locations (or in locations that experience extreme temperatures or other weather conditions) it may be impossible, or impractical, to repeatedly establish ground control points or maintain ground control points over time.
Accordingly, a number of problems and disadvantages exist with conventional systems for creating georeferenced digital aerial images using temporary ground control points.